Kyle

This is Kyle.

Kyle is an inspiration.

You may say, “How can a monkey be an inspiration?”

I’ll explain.

Kyle is a 6 year old Patas Monkey at the Woodland Park Zoo. In May of this year, Kyle fell prey to a serious infection in the bones near his right shoulder. The zoo attempted multiple procedures to fight the infection, but nothing was working. Finally, they decided that, to save Kyle’s life, they were going to amputate his arm.

The operation was a success, and Kyle pulled through and went back to his happy life with his mate, Alexa. He’s active and energetic, and his usual self. Just with one limb missing.

The reason Kyle inspires me is this: Even when something horrific happened to him, he didn’t give up and call it quits. He kept on. Many animals have simply given up the ghost when faced with an injury so severe. Many animals don’t know what to do when faced with a life missing a part of themselves. Not so for Kyle.

The lesson Kyle teaches me every time I see him is that life can throw hideous curve balls at you, but there’s always hope, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, and there’s always tomorrow.

Thanks Kyle.